Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-16

witticisms about the business of the Sem
ate or the pecuiarities OF fellow Senators
that set his associates flying TO the cloak
room to lau n.
There was another member OF the Con-
fedcrate Congress who nowis in Washing
ton in place OF trust. Reagan rememh hers
Attorney General Garland as Il black
eyed, boyish-l9oking, and very serious
member OF that Congress, who was not
conspicuous, and who was very decided
ly Swallowed by some of the fiowery ora
tors OF that body. Garland was NJ orator,
and man who could not hing metaphors
and make wreatDs of ire ana pic ures OF
clouds and synonyms of bounding bill
lows didn't stand on the highest pinnacle
OF public esteem. Davis, however, dis
covered in Garland a grave legal mind.
Ben Hill was undoubtedly the most
popular orator in the South in the early
days OF the Contederacy, though Toombs
rlvaled him, and it was an open secret
that Yancy, the typical fire eater, was
almost morbidly jealous OF HIPS popu-
larlty. 1t was this passion rather than
any that arose during debate that led to
the fight in the Confederate Senate, when
Fancy threw an ink bottle at HIPS head.
Many Confederates expected to see Hill
succeed Davis as President of the COnfed-
eracy, though Davis would have regretted
1t. Ii the COnfederacy had established it.
self Lee would have been a strong candi-
date for the Presidency, though the poll
ticians OF the South would have pre-
vented his nomiaa alton, If possible. Hill
himself believed that he was in the line OF
succession. he was man OF very great
influence in the Confederate Congress,
ana his friendship and support Davis was
very anxious TO keep, probably with the
vlew OF o0unteracting Joe Browns infiu.
ence in Georgia. Brown was the man in
the South whom Davis most feared, and
from whom he apprehended the estab-
llshed Confederacy would receive its first
shock, and with HIPS aid he hoped TO
neutralize Browns influence IN Georgia.
Brown was one OF the few Southern men
who, though a prOdigious bore rs a
speaker, had yet managed to gain very
great personal influence and following,
through his mastery use of some of the
subtle arts of polltics.
In the light of later history HIPS early
relations with a Confederate of prnmi-
nence: whom he afterward met in tue
Senate chamber at W ashington, is almost
comical. The chiefest and greatest ad-
mirer OF Ben Hill of all the Virginians
was Gen. Malone. The little General
regarded Hill as the ablest of the south
ern statesmen, and unequalled as an ora
tor. The big Ben and the little Billy
were great friends, almost chums. Hill
often spoke of Malone as the ideal
fighter, and even Mahone's enemies OF
to-day admit the truth OF that.
After the collapse of the Confederacy
Hill and Malone did not meet until tina
dramatic occasion when Malone entered
the Senate and Hill made the notable and
daring speech of attack. Then Manone
made his Senatorial debut before a pack
ed Senate chamber, moving slowly down
the aisle like an animated and articulat-
ed skeleton. waving his bOny finer al
Hill and saying, 81 am better Demo
crat than youw Though the speeches
were most bitter and personal, yet it sur
prised Senators to hear Hill in private
say good word for Billy Malone, and
there were secret suspicious that Hill
didn't feel as hard as he pretended
to. The same was true OF Malone,
and he said, after the battle was over,
that he had rather have his tussle with
Ben Hill than any of the rest of Them, for he
couldn't help liking him. There was q story
after this battle that Hill scrubbed line
on piece OF paper and sent 1t to Malone
with these words: s'The same old BLY,"
and Malone would never deny that the
story was true. Reagan, who knew very
we'll what Hills and Mahone's relations
were twenty years before, understood
Wuy ucituoI vi tuSln opUhG plttofiS vi tue
other ia private.
1t has been Judge Reagan's opinion
that such book as he contemplate
would better appear as n pOsthumOus
WORK, one of the reasons being that il the
truth was wholly to be told it would b
better to do so after all the persons in.
volved had passed away. Many of them
have gone, and time mas softened thOs
who remain so thoroughly that the Sena-
tors book could hardly interest any NOR,
than those OF whom he WILL write.